Aa
what could be the problem
my wife has a severe headache and her left arm feels very heavy and painfull
As Drnee stated, you have a potentially life-threatening situation that requires an immediate visit to an emergency room, preferably by ambulance.
Left arm pain is characteristic of myocardial ischemia - in layman's terms, the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygem. The fact that there is pain in the arm while the problem is in the heart is one of mother nature's mysteries.
When a person has a headache with left arm pain it's time to go to "general quarters".
Headache is often linked to elevated blood pressure, which often rises in response to a lack of oxygen to the heart (as a compensatory mechanism).
It has been several days since your post.
Your wife requires a cardiac evaluation and stress test, of which there are several types as of yesterday. If you can't get this in the U.K. hop a plane to the United States, and you'll get one in New York at any City hospital regardless of citizenship or insurance status.
This situation is NOT going to get better.
Hopefully there is no death of tissue. Generally a test called an EKG is run, and if a part of the resultant image called the "ST segment" shows depression it suggests death of heart tissue.
The important thing is to head off a catastrophic event which will result in death.
Best of luck.
Left arm pain is characteristic of myocardial ischemia - in layman's terms, the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygem. The fact that there is pain in the arm while the problem is in the heart is one of mother nature's mysteries.
When a person has a headache with left arm pain it's time to go to "general quarters".
Headache is often linked to elevated blood pressure, which often rises in response to a lack of oxygen to the heart (as a compensatory mechanism).
It has been several days since your post.
Your wife requires a cardiac evaluation and stress test, of which there are several types as of yesterday. If you can't get this in the U.K. hop a plane to the United States, and you'll get one in New York at any City hospital regardless of citizenship or insurance status.
This situation is NOT going to get better.
Hopefully there is no death of tissue. Generally a test called an EKG is run, and if a part of the resultant image called the "ST segment" shows depression it suggests death of heart tissue.
The important thing is to head off a catastrophic event which will result in death.
Best of luck.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Headache with left arm pain or heaviness could be due to very high blood pressure or due to heart attack too. It is important to get this evaluated immediately. High blood pressure can cause strokes and reduced oxygen supply to heart cause permanent damage to heart. Please consult a doctor ASAP or rush to ER.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Headache with left arm pain or heaviness could be due to very high blood pressure or due to heart attack too. It is important to get this evaluated immediately. High blood pressure can cause strokes and reduced oxygen supply to heart cause permanent damage to heart. Please consult a doctor ASAP or rush to ER.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!
Did you take your wife to the emergency room to be evaluated? If your wife normally does not get severe headaches or has never gotten a brain scan for them, she should. Also, she should get her neck and shoulder checked & also make sure her cardiovascular system is in order.
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